Liar
by GeorginoschkaVincen
Summary: As they try to get the Devil Fruit that could save Law's life things get complicated... Finding himself in the body of his brother is weird enough. However,finding out that his brother is betraying him is even worse Now they are both stuck inside the body of the other, both waiting for Law to get enough power over the fruit to switch them back ...
1. Prologue

I got this new idea for a fanfic, that combines an AU idea of mine with bodyswap!  
I planned a rough draft of it,and here is now the prologue.  
It is not very long, but I hope it is a little interesting anyway!  
It will later be based on an au that I uploaded on tumblt, which is based on the idea that Law stayed at Doflamingo's side and turned evil therefore.

Now in the beginning though it will focus on the bodyswap and on the consequences it brings for the brothers

I still have another fanfic going. I hope I can update both regular...If not,don't worry! I try my best!

One of the parings will be Vergo/Doflamingo  
Later it might be Law(adult!)/Corazon

* * *

**Prologue**

This should have been easy.  
However,like most things in life, this turned out to be a lot more difficult than either of them had anticipated.

Neither of them would have thought that this mission would change everything that was and would be between them.

That it would influence the life of one child so much that it would change the course of history.

If this hadn't happened many thing would have turned out different.  
A life would have been saved,another would have been lost, but it would have been for the better.  
Neither of them did now that.  
Neither of them would ever know that.

-  
"Ugh!"  
The blow was harsh, the barrel that was forcefully thrown at him effectively knocking him over. He was quickly back on his feet though, stumbling a little as he outstreched his hand in one swift movement, his fingers bending towards all the odd angles.

One,two ,three strings, all of them attached to the man before him who was cursing and trying to get out of the invisible prision that had been created to keep him in place.

"I did nothing wrong!" He yelled.

Of course he didn't, but he would die today.

His fault,for eating a devils fruit that was so powerful.  
He should have known.

"Now!" Doflamingo snarled, giving his brother a quick glance.

Corazon stumbled forward, hastily raising the gun.  
The wind was blowing harshly, throwing the long red tassels of Corazon's hat around his head,his golden hair glowing in the soft winter light.

There were black feathers flying through the air, like leaves during an autumn storm.  
They flew higher and higher until they disappeared in the sky.

"Corazon!"

This was important, this was important, very important!  
They couldn't let this man get away, couldn't let the _fruit _get out of their reach!

Law's life was depending on this!  
Depending on _them_!

This was important, just one shot, one shot to the heart and the fruit would be theirs!

Doflamingo could almost feel the weight of the fruit in his hands, could almost see how relieved Law would be...

He wasn't sure if Corazon could even hear him over the howling of the wind.

"Pull the damn trigger!"

Just one little movement, the motion of a finger that would decide everything...  
Why was he hesitating?!  
Why didn't he pull the trigger?!

So many bodies around them on the floor already, unconscious or dead, what did it matter.

If Doflamingo still had his gun...

Looking away was probably the first of many mistakes that would be made in the future.

Not beheading the man with his strings was probably the second.

He wasn't looking at the man, wasn't noticing how the scrawny doctor whose name he didn't deem worhty enough to remember lifted his hand; no,instead he was looking at his brother, shouting at him to finally shoot the doctor...

There was a weird pull at his heart, as if someone tried to grab it, as if someone tried to rip it out of his chest.  
Doflamingo choked, his head quickly turning towards the man, his eyes now wide with shock.

His hair was blowing in the wind, taking half of his sight as he tried to make out the mans movements.

How was he still moving?! Doflamingo's strings should stop all his movements, so why...

Another pull, everything was spinning.

Someone was shouting.

He felt dizzy.

The spinning stopped.  
Weird, he couldn't remember falling down...

People were still shouting, his crew, his family, he could hear them.

A shot was ringing through the air, someone was screaming.  
Was it the doctor?  
Yes, he would recognize any pained scream from his family, this was no voice he knew.

His head was spinning again,and he felt a little sick.  
Weird, he couldn't recall falling down, couldn't recall any blow to the head either...  
His heart...  
The pain was gone.

"Young Master,wait! Where are you going?!"

Weird, he wasn't going anywhere.

_I am lying here, Jola._  
That's what he wanted to say, but instead he found his throat felt oddly raw,as if he hadn't talked in a while.

Things got blurry again, and he gave up, and let the darkness pull him down.


	2. Who am I again?

_First, I thought this was a sick joke._  
_I soon realized it wasn't._

**Chapter 1**

He was awake, but hadn't opened his eyes yet. His dreams had been blurry, too fast, and nothing like the nightmares he usually had.

He turned his head a little, frowning at the headache. What a way to start the day...

The sheets, he noticed, smelled different, but he couldn't tell what smell it was. Something familiar, and definitely the faint smell of smoke.

He felt weird, as if something was off, but he couldn't really describe what exactly it was that was wrong. The faint humming that went through his body, the feeling of the power of his Devil Fruit, felt different today, strange even, and why did his head hurt...

Doflamingo's eyes fluttered slightly. They felt heavy, as if he hadn't slept in weeks.  
No,who was he kidding, it rather felt as if he had been high over night and not really back in the real world again.  
Frowning a little he sat up, rubbing his forehead with his hand. His hair was falling into his eyes, something that was nothing unusual; it often did that early in the morning when it wasn't styled. What surprised him,though, was the color if it. He definitly didn't have strawberry blond hair. Wavy hair, yes, if it wasn't busy trying to escape gravity, but not strawberry blond...

He probably wasn't really awake yet. The light that came through the small slit of the closed curtains was probably casting an illusion on the hair and his tired eyes were unable to process the information.

Those curtains...  
They were blue. Doflamingo couldn't remember ever having blue curtains, not since...  
His thoughts trailed off, and he looked around now, taking in his surroundings.

This,he quickly realized, was not his room.

Clothes were lying on the ground, books too. It looked as if a child hadn't bothered to clean its room after having played with everything it owned, not affected by the chaos that was going on around it.

The drawers to the left were half open, filled with all kinds of things, mostly clothes and loose notes. A few pencils had found their way under the desk and on to the floor while the carpet in front of the four-poster bed was only barely visible underneath the pile of of books and papers.

There was dust floating through the air, visible in the small gleam of sunlight that was shining through the closed cotten curtains.

Rocinante's room.

Why was he lying the bed of his brother?

Doflamingo frowned; he remembered losing consciousness after the encounter with the doctor, the furit user of the Ope Ope no Mi...

The fruit!

Doflamingo hastily swung his long legs out of the bed, nearly stumbling over them.

He couldn't remember much, but from what he could recall they had been able to kill the man. Therefor the fruit must have already reappeared, hopefully at the location that Doflamingo had calculated. If that was the case...

Doflamingo walked over the clothes on the floor, trying not to slip on them as he put up a mental note for himself to tell Corazon to tidy his god damn room. It was a mystery to him how Corazon was even able to live here. Then again, he was often on missions and even if he was on board he was rarely in the room itself.

Walking down the long corridor Doflamingo found himself wondering how late it was. Judging by the position of the sun that was visible through the large windows it had to be around noon.

Irritation began to worm its way into his busy mind. Why hadn't anyone bothered to wake him up? Yes,sure, he couldn't stand being woken after a long night of drinking and celebrating, but sleeping too long during days that requiered his full attention was something he hated even more.

Usually he was greeted whenever walking around the ship. His crew was always showing him their affection, and he gladly replied with kind words. However,today no one seemed to take notice of him. In fact they only glanced at him, sometimes giving him a nod. Baby 5 giggled as she saw him, but quickly walked past him.

Really ,what was the matter with everyone?

The kitchen was almost empty, except for Law and Diamanté. They both turned to look at him as he entered, and while Diamanté simply looked away again Law's gaze seemed to darken before he turned away with a scowl.

That was definitely weird. Both of them were usually very not that cold towards him. Okay, the brat was not really open towards anyone, but he liked Doflamingo more than anyone else out of the crew.

Really, what was the matter with everyone today?

He had to clear his throat several times before speaking. Somehow it felt very dry, as if he hadn't talked in days instead of one night.

"Care to tell me why everyone's mood is so brilliant today?"

Two heads turned around so quickly that Doflamingo blinked in surprise; what surprised him even more than the two shocked faces that were staring at him in disbelieve was the _sound _of his voice.

Doflamingo's voice was dark and smooth, and always holding that certain edge of amusement in it. A voice that could seduce as well as it could threaten you.  
It was a voice you wouldn't forget easily after hearing it once.

The voice he had just spoken with was softer than his, dark as well,yes, but not nearly as dark as his own. A voice with a slight rasp and a missing note of carelessness that was usually present in his own.

A change in voice was not something that normally happened over night...

"You can talk!" Diamanté said, after having gulped down his surprise. Law was simply staring at him, the hate in his eyes growing even stronger, as if he had suddenly decided that he couldn't stand Doflamingo at all.

"Well...yes?" Doflamingo answered,slowly, still not used to the voice.

What was this? A joke? Did they all decide to prank him?

Doflamingo laughed, and the laughter sounded so weird, as if his vocal chords didn't really know how to produce that sound.

"Very funny. A good joke." Doflamingo grinned as he walked towards Diamanté, who only glared at him.

"Well, let's see if you still think this is funny after I told Doffy about this!" He snarled, his yes narrowed.

Doflamingo stopped, now even more surprised.

"What are you talking about?" He wanted to know.

"You were pretending to be mute all along,I knew it!" Law said, the murderous glint in his eyes turning into glee. "You were lying all along! I bet you are the one betraying us! Just wait after I told Doflamingo about this, he'll-"

"What are you two talking about?!" Doflamingo interrupted Law with an angry growl, causing the boy to close his mouth and glare at him. "I am waking up, glad my plan worked out, and here you are, acting as if I am trying to betray my family!"

"You never really saw us as your family though, did you." Diamanté said slowly, now taking a step towards Doflamingo. "Betraying your own brother like this..."

"Enough!" Doflamingo yelled, the anger now taking over. His body was shaking with the rage he felt as he pointed a finger at Diamanté, nearly poking him in the chest with it. "I accept any kind of jokes as long as they are at least a little funny, but suggesting that I am betraying _my _family...!"

No one, NO one, was allowed to speak about his family as if it didn't mean anything to Doflamingo. Anyone who even dared to think they knew _anything _about how he felt towards them...

He paused, not because Diamanté had grabbed his arm rather forcefully but because of what he saw.

The arm that Diamanté had grabbed, Doflamingo's arm, was clad in a white shirt with pink hearts.

Corazon's shirt.

_Betraying your brother... Doflamingo_

Slowly something began to click into place.

"Give me a mirror." He rasped, his voice steady even though he felt like puking. "A mirror, I need one." He tugged at his own arm,trying to get it out of the strong grip, but Diamanté held on to him, not wanting to let go.

"What, why do you-"

"A mirror!" Doflamingo snapped, yanking his arm free. The skin burned but he did not care. Twirling around on his heels and ignoring the protests from Diamanté and Law he left the kitchen.

Suddenly he had a very bad feeling about all this.

Diamanté tried to hold him back, but Doflamingo had none of that; with big swift steps he walked out of the kitchen, heading down the long main corridor. There was a long floor-to-ceiling mirror at the end of the hallway, right next to the heavy wooden door that was leading to the big living room of the ship, and he would take a look into that mirror to assure himself that he was not going mad, that he was simply a bit groggy from the encounter with the doctor.

"Stop, where are you going!? Corazón!"  
It was definitly Diamanté that yelled after him, but Doflamingo ignored him. He was not his brother, after all.

His shoes made a soft clicking sound against the polished wooden floor, but his heart was beating so loud in his chest that it was drowning the steady clicking noise, and Doflamingo was sure that anyone close enough to him was able to hear it.

The walk to the mirror seemed to take forever, even though in reality it probably didn't even take more than four minutes.

He could see the reflection even before he fully reached the mirror, but he didn not slow down,did not blink, before he reached the mirror.

There he stood, only a feet away from the mirror, but all he could see was his brother.

Those bright blue eyes though, which were usually warm and always reminding Doflamingo of the crystal clear sea water of the south, seemed colder now. They almost looked like Doflamingo's own, hard and distanced and very cold, like the exact opposite to his brother, like the cold sky of the north...

This could not be true, surely he was still too tired...

"Don't just run away." Diamanté was walking down the hallway, and Doflamingo was sure that Law was following him , too curious about what was happening. "I will escort you to Doffy and then-"

Doflamingo didn't listen, instead he raised his hand, Corazón's hand, and began to strok over his cheek. The reflection did the same. He should have expected that.

He turned around, nearly walking into Diamanté, who stood far too close to him for his liking.  
"I am not Corazón!" Doflamingo snapped, glaring up at the tall man. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath. He needed to calm down, acting all outraged wasn't helping him in his current position.

"Well,you surely won't be _Corazón_ any longer after after Doflamingo gets to know about you lying to him." Law replied, grinning up at him, and really, this boy did look creepy sometimes...  
There he stood, barely tall enough to reach over Doflamingo's knee, clutching a book about medical issues to his scrawny chest,a boy with a dark glint in his eyes that was defenitly not one a twelve-year-old child normally had in its eyes. It almost looked murderous, as if there was nothing funnier for him than imagening the anger of Doflamingo raining down on Corazón.

Why the boy couldn't stand his brother Doflamingo couldn't tell. And to be honest he didn't care,because it was not his problem. As long as lLaw did not try to kill Corazón everything was fine.

This was not the topic,though.  
Right now Doflamingo wasn't sure if he should laugh or have a mental breakdown. Being himself he decided to laugh, a low humorless chuckle that only confused Law and Diamanté even more.

"Oh...this is bad."  
That bastard must have used the Devil Fruit powers against Doflamingo and Corazón,that was the only possible explanation for this. However, what exactly he had done to them was still a mystery to Doflamingo, although he had a assumption,one that he hoped wasn't true.

Without another word Doflamingo strode past Diamanté who, of course, followed him.

"Yes, this is very bad for you!" He agreed. "Lying,espcially about something important-"

"That's not the main problem." Doflamingo answered calmly. He was calm, the panic now having turned into a bitter aftertaste in his dry mouth.

The bad feeling was only increasing.

Later he would realize that he had always _known _that something was off with Corazón, that he had always known that Corazón didn't fit in. He had always refused to believe that it could be his own brother who was betraying them. If he only had listened to his head instead of his heart, like he usually did...

He really was too sentimental if it came to Corazón, a mistake that he wouldn't do again.

Now,though, he didn't know any of that. All he knew was that he felt sick, that there was a weird pressure behind his eyes and a voice inside his head telling him that this would not end well.

"What do you mean by that?" Diamanté asked, clearly wary.

"I am not Corazón. I told you so." Doflamingo answered, walking straight to his own room, where his brother must be now. "I am Doflamingo. "

"Ohhh, now he is mad!" Law said, sounding almost excited. No wonder, that little brain of his was probably already going through all the mental disorders he had ever read about, trying to find a matching one for Doflamingo's behavior.

"You must have hit your head pretty hard while falling down." Diamanté replied drily.

"And he probably needs glasses too, because looking into the mirror was clearly not enough. "Law muttered under his breath, but Doflamingo heard it anyway. That brat really wasn't trying hard enough to hide the bitterness he held for everyone and the world. That was one thing Doflamingo liked so much about him.

It occured to Doflamingo that he had no actual prove that he really was himself, and not Rocinante. If his brother actually wanted to betray him this would be the perfect opportunity.  
Oh, but why would his brother want to do that? There was no reason for him to betray Doflamingo, after all.

Surely there was an explanation why he had chosen not to speak for years, why he left...

If not, well... Doflamingo was known for many things and being mercyfull towards his enemies was not one of them.

But Rocinante would never even think about betraying him. He needed Doflamingo, had always needed him ever since they were little. Doflamingo had always looked out for him, and in return Corazon had followed him like a little puppy. Yes, his naive little brother was unable to betray him, he loved Doflamingo far too much to ever do that.

They had reached the door, and Doflamingo wasted no time; he knocked three times, but didn't wait for any sign that he was allowed to enter, instead he simply opened the door, much to Diamanté's horror.

"You can't just -" He began, but it was already too late; Doflamingo stepped into his room.

If there was one thing that was strange then it was seeing your own body turning around to look at you, eyes wide with surprise.

There was an awkward silence as Doflamingo and Rocinante looked at each other, yet they were only seeing themself.

"Doffy, I am terrible sorry-" Diamanté tried to pull Doflamingo aside while he smiled at Rocinante, who seemed rather calm. Doflamingo tried to free himself of the harsh grip, but this time Diamanté seemed determind to hold him in place. "- he just wouldn't listen to me! He went totally crazy and said something about being you and all, uhaha. "

Doflamingo glared at his brother, who still refused to say a word. Was he going to play along, pretending to be Doflamingo? "Why don't you say something. "Doflamingo asked, his voice calm. "I am sure you can't wait to say something. You haven't talked to us in ages, after all."

He was hurt, of course he was, and he wanted an explanation for Corazón's silence.

Maybe it was caused by a mental issue? Maybe that was why Corazón was silent even now?

No, if that was the reason Doflamingo himself wouldn't be able to talk right now. A throat and vocal chords that hadn't been used in ages certainly didn't sound like the voice that Doflamingo used right now.

"See,he is talking now!" Diamanté said, and he was angry now. It was admirable how much he cared about Doflamingo's well-being, but right now he really wasn't helping the situation at all.

Corazón was quiet for another few minutes, until he sighed deeply.

"I guess we have a problem now.." He said, very quietly.

"I know,I know." Diamanté agreed, tugging at Doflamingo's arm. Doflamingo usually was a very patient man if it came to his family, but right now he had to supress the urge to step onto Diamanté's foot. "This must be a shock for you, I can understand that, but-"

"No." Corazón shook his head, his bright eyes directed on Doflamingo. He wasn't wearing the glasses, so that Doflamingo was now looking into his own pale blue eyes; they really looked like ice, almost silver with a blue hue around the pupil that was so piercing that it was difficult not to feel intimidated by that gaze.

Somehow they seemed warmer now,though, as if a light was shining behind the ever present wall of ice.

Doflamingo wondered if his eyes had been that warm once,too.

"I am not Doflamingo."

"Oh no." Law whispered. Only his head was visible as he looked into the room while half-hiding behind the doorframe. "They have both gone crazy."

* * *

Usually the voice comes along together with the soul if it is changed into another body, but I decided to ignore that for the story's sake


	3. Traitor

Sorry that it takes so long for me to update, I am busy with real life and writing is hard sometimes

* * *

**Chapter 2**

The silence was deafening.  
No one said a word as they were sitting around the big table,all eyes on him and his brother.

They wanted an explanation for what had happened, but the truth was that neither Doflamingo nor Corazón knew for sure.

Corazón's back was straight, his posture stiff; he was a good actor,had learned to be the best, but the worry nagging at his insides was something that was hard to disguise.

This situation was far more troublesome than anyone knew, at least if it came to Corazón.

One mistake and his identity and true intentions would be out, turning his plans to ashes.

It was troublesome, but at the same time a really big advantage against his brother.  
All Corazón needed to do was contact Sengoku, and then the Marine would do the rest.

Well,that was if they even believed him. For now all he had were his words, and who would willingly believe the words of a dangerous pirate known for manipulating people?  
Corazón could probably say whatever he wanted and Sengoku would still be wary of him and his honest words.  
At least he had all the current information on the case, and would probably be able to convince him that this was not a joke but indeed a very serious situation which could change everything.

This was his chance.

Doflamingo didn't know of Corazón's powers, not yet. It would only be a matter of time,of course, but hopefully it would be enough time for Corazón to contact the Marine.

Doflamingo was a dangerous man, yes he was, but now Corazon had something that was very dear to the other ; his own body.  
There was no doubt that Doflamingo wanted to get back inside his own body rather sooner than later, which would lead to him frantically searching for the fruit. Law would need some time to get used to its powers before switching them back, time which Corazón could use.

Time was his biggest problem, though, because so much could happen within a little span of time.

One stupid mistake, one little slip-up and he would most likely end up dead as soon as he got back inside his own body.

"So, what you are telling us is that the powers of the fruit got you switched?" Treból furrowed his brow, his head swaying a little as if trying to comprehend the information. "Didn't know the fruit could do that."

"Neither of us did." Doflamingo said. It was weird, hearing his own voice without speaking a word. Corazón watched his brother as he put his chin on the back of his hand, his arm resting on the large table.  
"This wouldn't have happened if I had known about it ."

_Oh,of course not._  
Corazón had to control the urge to roll his eyes.

Doflamingo's head turned towards him, and for a short moment Corazón wondered if the other had been able to read his mind.

He wasn't used to being able to see the burning glare of his brother. Doflamingo had always worn shades, had always hidden his eyes from the world outside, masking them so no one knew what he was thinking. The eyes are the mirror to ones soul, that's what people used to say, and there had been a time where Corazón had wondered if his brother even had a soul, that maybe he was wearing those shades to hide his dead eyes, but that wasn't the case.

Doflamingo's eyes were always full of emotion, he had never been good at hiding them.  
Sometimes they were like a raging storm, and it had always surprised Corazón how calm his brother could speak or how loud he could laugh while his eyes were glowing with burning wrath.

In order to become 'Joker', in order to archive the perfect pokerface, or maybe just because he was sick and tired of the world...Corazón couldn't tell why he had begun to wear the glasses, but he had never taken them off infront of anyone.

Out of respect Corazón had decided to wear them now that he was inside his brother's body, which caused him to see everything tinted in a reddish hue.

Doflamingo was still watching him, the fingers of his free hand moving across the table, drawing invisible patterns.

Was he nervous?

The intense stare of his brother made the eyes that usually belonged to Corazón look strangely open and sharp.  
Corazón didn't like that.

The silent question why Corazón was able to speak was hanging between them like a heavy rope, like the strings of his brothers power, ready to strangle Corazón if he dared to make a wrong move.

They were looking at him as well now. He could feel their gazes upon his skin, and it made him uneasy. It was as if everyone was waiting for him to speak up.

"The sooner we get the fruit the better." Corazón said, after clearing his throat."We don't know if this will have any lasting effects..." He trailed off.

Playing the role of the clumsy and mute brother had been easy, easier than he had first thought, but actually talking to the others...

It felt weird, wrong.

Any word could betray him...

His biggest fear was getting lost in his own lies, as if getting tangled in a web of strings that wasn't made by his brother but by Corazón himself.

This was dangerous.

Much more dangerous than he had assumed.

Maybe this new situation wasn't as good as he had thought...

His throat felt tight and he knew that he had to act fast; Doflamingo was weakened now, wasn't he? Unable to use his strings, neither able to fly or cut through his enemies. If Corazón managed to contact the Marine in time while making sure that the fruit was out of reach for Doflamingo they would be able to lure his brother into a trap.

The first thing he had to do after this meeting was over was calling Sengoku.

Corazón silently endured the next few hours with the hope that things wouldn't slip out of his grasp this time.

He was oddly calm as he stood up, the meeting having finished just mere minutes ago.  
His eyes wandered over the faces of the other executives. Vergo had been gone for months now, leaving the heart seat to Corazón.

Anyone would have felt honored after getting entitled with the position of an executive, but Corazón knew very well that this was a way of his brother to keep him in check.

Rocinante had been gone for years only to get offered the most important seat of his brother's crew soon after his return, without an explanation for his absence.  
Of course Doflamingo had asked him, but only once, and never again, where Corazón had been.

Corazón hadn't answered, and Doflamingo hadn't asked again.

Corazón liked to see things in black and white. He wouldn't admit that himself, though.  
To him, his brother was evil. That was all he was.

A monster.

The idea that Doflamingo had been really glad to see him again, that he really trusted Corazón enough to give him the heart seat...Something like that had never crossed his mind.

"You do know that it is very possible that _he_ is the one leaking the information to the Marine." Corazón heared Pika whisper to Doflamingo, as he was on his way out of the room.  
The voice was so high, it was easy to hear even though Pika tried to keep quiet.

"Nah." Corazón heared his brother answer. "He wouldn't do that."

It was almost funny, that people liked to believe that Corazón was the one who was naïve. In reality, it was Doflamingo who was too naïve in his believe that his brother was too kind and devoted to him to ever betray his own blood.

Corazón was quiet as he walked down the long hallway of the ship. Talking to the others had been strangely tiring, as if it had sucked all energy out of him.

He could litereally feel their mistrust towards him.  
They didn't want him here.  
Somehow he felt as if they never really had.

He was on his way to his own room, his fingers itching to finally dial the number to the headquaters, his whole body humming with anticipation.

He ignored the person in the mirror as he walked through his room, taking big steps but still stumbling over the clothes on the floor. He could remember that Sengoku had always told him to keep his room tidy and organized. Corazón had to chuckle at the thought of him seeing this mess. It was only a part of Rocinante's role as Corazón, but he was sure the older man would shake his head.

Oh,how he missed actually seeing the other man instead of just hearing his voice over the Den Den. Sengoku had grown into a father figure, a great comfort for Corazón aching heart, even though the other man was rather strict in his educational methods. However,he had been the one to give Corazón new hope, and Corazón would never forget that.

Soon he would see him, that's what Corazón kept telling himself. Just a while longer and everything would be fine.

He was sure Sengoku would be proud of him once this was over.

It took forever until he found the Den Den because it had been hidden underneath a pile of clothes. If Doflamingo had seen it while waking up in Corazón's room... Corazón didn't want to imagine outcome of their confrontation.

"Sengoku,it's me, Rocinante."  
It was still weird hearing Doflamingo's voice instead of his own.  
"Listen, we need to talk."

"Rocinante?" Sengoku asked, the snail in front of Corazón frowning now. Corazón wondered if the snail at the other and was trying to imitate Doflamingo or if it was still the usual snail that looked like Corazón.

"Yes. It is me. There has been a...incident..." He trailed off, suddenly aware of a sound coming from the direction of the door.

His head turned around quickly in time to catch a white hat disappearing from his view.

"Shit!" He was sure all color left his face as he realized what just had happened; Law had heared him talking to Sengoku, and while Law didn't know who Sengoku was, Doflamingo sure did.

"Rocinante, what is-"

"I need to go! I'll call you back later." Corazón said while jumping up from his bed, his heart hammering inside his chest like a caged bird trying to get out of its cage.

If Law told Doflamingo about Corazón speaking to Sengoku the whole plan would be ruined. Not only the plan, but probably Corazón's life,too, as well as the lives of all the people that Corazón tried to protect from his brother.

He could hear Sengoku calling after him, but Corazón was already out of the room and on his way down the hallway. He could see Law running in front of him, his small legs not fast enough to run away from Corazón, who quickly grabbed him by the neck of his shirt, hastily disappearing with him into the next best room, which appeared to be the living room of the ship.

Usually the living room was one of the rooms that Corazón found himself sitting in while trying to be left alone. It was big and richly ornamented with all kinds of golden stucco at the ceiling and the walls. The room itself was white, but the furniture made up to that with its warm pastel colors. Corazón always wondered what their living room would look like if they actually had a home to return to, but something told him it would look exactly the same, except that he could imagine the walls in dark red instead of white.

Corazón's favourite part about the room were the big windows which reminded him of the windows of their home back when he and his brother had been living with their parents in the holy land. It wasn't because he missed the old times in Mariejois but because they reminded him of some sort of freedom he had long lost, a part of him that had been left behind with his dead parents and the innocence he had possessed in his early childhood.

Whenever he looked outside the big windows he could see the sky, and the sky almost always looked the same wherever he was, so it was always easy to pretend he was still a child with parents that were still alive and a brother that still had a soul, a brother that had turned into a monster long ago.

Or maybe he had always been a monster, born evil and without a heart.

However,Corazón was not here to get lost in the memories of his past and neither to enjoy the living room; he was here to talk sense into Law, who was glaring at him as if he was going to murder him as soon as Corazón let go of him.

"Put me down! Traitor!" The boy hissed, trying to lash out at Corazón who simply held him further away from himself.

Big words for a boy who had no clue who Corazón had been talking to.

"Calm down! And listen to me!"

"I did hear everything I need to know!" Law spat, struggling in his grasp. "You were talking to someone without Doflamingo knowing of it!"

Corazón sighed heavily, trying not to be annoyed.  
"Listen, brat! I am going to tell you something important and you're going to listen to me."

Law snorted, but had no time to respond, since Corazón was already talking again.

"My brother is not the kind of man you want as your captain, and he is especially no one to look up to. He is evil. A monster. He killed our father when he was ten, simply because he found his actions unacceptable. He has no mercy for anyone, and his lust for blood and violence is unatural. He enjoys seeing others suffer while he manipulates them, and believe me, he will do the same to you. Why do you think he is so keen on getting the fruit?" Corazón leaned towards Law, who was quietly watching him. "To save you? Oh no, no, he wants to use it for his own goals, but he wouldn't tell you anything of that, of course."

Telling Law parts of their past was easier than Corazón had thought. The words kept spilling out of him as if they had been waiting to finally get out. He was talking more than he had wanted to, told Law more than the boy needed to know, but it felt right.

Surely the boy would understand, surely he would come to his sense after hearing what a horrible child Doflamingo had been, after realizing that the man he was looking up to was still the same horrible and arrogant brat he had been years and years ago.

After their mother had died things began to change. After that, nothing had been the same.

Doflamingo had loved their mother more than he had loved anyone else, and his wish for her to get better after she had fallen horribly sick was the only thing that kept him going sometimes, together with his arrogance and his stubbornness.  
He would search for any kind of food, would even steal anything he could get his hands on only so they could go back to their mother without empty hands.

His hate for the world and anyone else had seemed to grow with each passing day after their mother had passed away.

Corazón often wondered if things would be different now if their mother hadn't died back then. She had been the only one to calm Doflamingo down when he had one of his temper tantrums, and now that she was gone no one was there to stop his madness.

No one,except for Rocinante.

"It's my goal, to stop his madness." He said, his voice calm and steady. "Enough people have suffered because of him. I cannot allow him to continue like this. Especially not if a child is going to be harmed."

There was silence.

Corazón was struggling hard not to show how afraid he was of the reaction Law would show him.

Everything was depending on the boy now.

Corazón let go of Law, who watched him quietly. It was hard to tell what the boy was thinking, since no emotion was visible on his face.

"I need you to understand, Law, that Doflamingo will only harm you." He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. So far everything was going fine..

"I heard what you said to Baby 5 and Buffalo. About your name. "

It had been several days ago, and Corazón had meant to interfere sooner, but he had been stopped by Diamanté who had wanted 'to discuss' something with him. Corazón hadn't had the time to speak to Law since then, but now...

"If it is true what you said then you need to watch out even more, do you understand me?" He crouched down to make it easier for Law to look him in the eyes. Well, currently he was wearing the shades,but...

"Doflamingo won't be pleased to hear that you are a D. There is a saying that people with this letter are the natural enemy of people like him. "

Law was still very quiet, and Corazón began to hope that the boy understood what he was trying to tell him.

This was,of course,partly about him trying to stop Law from running to Doflamingo yelling about how Corazón was a traitor. However, he also did want to protect the boy.

He hadn't been able to save his brother back than when they had been children, but he could try saving Law. The boy was so much like his brother in some aspects that it scared Corazón. Knowing that he would grow up to become a man like Doflamingo...

Corazón didn't want that. That was not what the boy deserved; especially not after everything that happened to him.

"Do you understand what I am trying to tell you,Law?" Corazón asked, again.

The boy was silent, but his face was stern. It gave Corazón hope that he understood.

"You have to keep quiet about the Den Den call, alright? Don't tell anyone. I have a plan, and if everything goes well you will be out of here and-"

"You cannot heal me though, can you."

Corazón blinked, surprised that Law was talking to him with such a calm voice. It almost sounded detached of any feelings, as if Law was talking about the weather and not his illness.

"You say you want to save me, and that you don't want me to eat the fruit, but you cannot heal me. So, why would I do anything you say? Why should I betray Doflamingo? "

He looked almost innocent, his eyes wide and his head tilted, but Corazón knew very well that Law was anything else than innocent. It was sad to admit, but Law had gone through too much to be considered a normal innocent child.

But Corazón could save him. He couldn't return all those lost days of Law's childhood, but he could give him a better future.

"I will find a way to heal you." He said, his voice stern.

Law was quiet.

There was still tension in the air, but Corazón felt much calmer now. Law slowly seemed to understand what Corazón was trying to tell him.

"For now,all you have to do is keep quiet. Can you do that?"

Law nodded, but for a small moment Corazón was sure he could see the hatred flare up in his eyes again.

Why Law was hating him so much, Corazón couldn't say.

_It isn't hate_, Corazón kept telling himself, _he is a child. He is too young to really hate anyone. _

"Good. Alright." He nodded, now standing up now. "I'll go to my room, alright? I have to make an important call."

They both left the room together, and Corazón could feel his heart getting lighter and lighter with every step. This had turned out well! Maybe Law wasn't as bitter as Corazón had thought...

It seemed the hate had really been a simple facade, a way to keep himself save from harm, and that Law really was just a frightened child underneath the layer of cruelness he often displayed.

Corazón turned around, grinning as he put his hand on Law's head, ruffling his hat slightly after making sure that no one was around to see them.  
"Everything will be fine. I promise."

In the end, getting Law to trust him hadn't been so hard.  
The only thing he could hope for now was that Law would keep quiet, and that he had enough time to call Sengoku again.

With this in mind he turned and walked back to his room, not looking back at Law, who waited until Corazón was out of sight.

The boy didn't wait any longer befor he started running, his small feet hastily carrying him to the door of the room he had been wanting to enter since he had first heard Corazón talking to another man.

Law paused,his hand raised and ready to knock at the door.  
He hesitated once, but only for a few seconds, befor he knocked.

The heavy door opened without a sound, and the face of Corazón was looking down at Law. It made the anger well up inside him again,even though he knew that it was not Corazón but Doflamingo standing in front of him.

"What is it, Law?"  
Doflamingo asked, with this unfamilar voice of Corazón. It was a voice far too smooth for not having been used over several years. The voice of a traitor.

Law took a deep breath; he had made his desicion.

He had made it long time ago already, during the first time he had been thrown out of the window by the mute man.

From that day on his hate for the man had grown and grown, one of the few things he had been able to hold on to, something that kept him through each day.

Why he had so much hate for the man he didn't know. Even after the warning he had gotten,even after the promise of getting saved...

An evil grin spread across his face as he looked up at Doflamingo.

"I know who the traitor is."


End file.
